Western cyclone., 1887-06-24
UNDER SUNNY SKIES.
A4ausement.Ssekers in the South Of
Europe-Fair Debutantes.


winter cities Of France and Italy, such as
Cannes, Nice, Florence, and Rome, have
clubs zor cercles which are important
factors in the social life of the places. In
Rome and Florence, where the Anglo
American diversion is neither so vast nor
SO embracing, the same various shades
and degrees Of rcpute are found as in the
fashion centers Of the Riviera; and if a
man be we'll introduced at the club he will
have an immediate welcome to the enter
tanning houses. A member of the Cercle
Messina, or of the Cercle MediteTanee,
has the privilege of inviting several ladies
to every matinee andsante; but, as the OBJ
iect of these organizations is to claim
long roll, membership is the consideration
of admission to men. The great predom.
mating foreign element at Nice makes of
its clubs a polyglot assembly where the
English speaking colony find some diff
Guilty in overcoming conventional dis
tances In Florence the club wishes to
keep itself to itself; but in Nice it has no
such ambition for exclusiveness.
In all of the Winter cities there is
noticeable male population that sustains
its existence in idleness. An air Of ease,
inanity, and selfishness, and well-worn
and we'll brushed coats hung upon intense
" STOPPING shoulders are the invariable
docket Of the class It's constituents are
to be seen at the public readingrOoms, at
the clubs, and sometimes they succeed in
being admitted to really good salon. BY
renting an apartment over cow stable or
comestibles-shop. taking their morning
coffee at an inferior cafe and table hotc
dinner at a hotel or pension when they
20 oh 4ho
Opulent, travelling denominations, they
continue to live with great economy and
little exertion. For comfort they repair
to the luxury of the club. If one of them
be a fellow gifted with god like cOun-
sciousness Of everybody's business, he is
soon the most popular of his set. He
presses his nose against the easement or
lolls over the balcony facing the blue sea,
and rehashes, with irresistible gustO.
choice and piquant mOrsels Of gossip
about each several fair occupant of every
landau that rolls over the white boulevard
of the PrOmenades des Anglais, or waits
in the general cortege of vehicles by the
public gardens for the Afternoon concert.
Those wEO do not know and have not the
skill to manufacture the tid-bits so eagerly
sought and profoundly relished, deserve
no wOrshipful niche in the Oracular tenn
pie of society.
The members of the class are mostly
Italians and English Sometimes they
have rank; Oftentimes none. If of the
former nationality with proud title they
are obliged to let their own old palaces,
with the iron bars and lozenged panes, to
many tenants in various apartments, only
retaining for themselves few of the least
desirable chambers where there may be
great deal of dark and decaycd glory, but
very little comfort. They marry English
or Americans with landed possessions, and
what has been Saxon to begin with is so
crossed with the Latin and Muscovite
races that it is becoming a strange monde
script society.
The star of dowdy duchess. who wears
black stuff dresses and a wig without
shape or system that sets as if it and her
head had been engaged in game of cup
and-ball, Notwithstanding her hOnored
name, pales before the effulgent light of
fair barbarian from the great republic, who
arrives with great retinue of servants,
horses, dogs, and boxes And when
Italians of titular distinction. who have
little more than their clothes and their tluc-
tuating revenue from ecarte, wish to re-
store estates that have been depleted by
great wars and Incidence, though they
rule society, they must form an alliance
with spectators in natural gas from Penn
sylvania, or pork packers from Chicago,
or ore borers from beyond the Rockies.
Of the classes who come simply for
pleasure the tidal wave of humanity,
rising late in November, continues TO aug
ment in volume and velocity till after the
wild frOlic of the carnival then there
comes a sudden depression, and the rehuX
of visitors is felt by every hOtelkeeper.
Those who have their own villas and apart
ments seldom close them sooner than May.
True, there are days when the thermometer
falls nearly as low as in England or Amer
lea; there are times when it is dull, though
bearing the reputation of being naughty,
and weeks when one sees too much the
same people; but no ill-bred animosities
arc observed to grow out Of it, and an
easy, familiar intimacy springs into sud-
den life among thrOngs bent only on
amusement. There are charming houses
to go to, and great deal of taste for mu-
sic, art, and mental culture; and what if
it have its potpourri of natonalities? 1t
makes it all the more interesting.
The art and culture of Nice are not the
essential life of the place. Art and culture
it has beyond a doubt, but they arc what
is carried hither by people from great cap
itals. A Winter at Nice is held among all
the dear ambitions Of young aspirants for
dramatic, literary. and musical honors.
They all come flushed with the anticjpa-
tory advantages to be derived; they all
come eager for society, striving for q
cientage. and heralding their own attain
mcnts and the power which is to achieve
the yet unwon aurels. This is noticeably
true of Americans Now, do not shout
out at my loyalty, or accuse me of suffer
ing from that most painful complaint
Anglomania. Nothing of the kind. But,
permit me to say. Americans arc too fluent
on the subject of self. too tlamboyant of
their social and professional trophies.
The mother who has a daughter to pre-
sent asserts she is what she desires TO be-
come. She knows everything about every
body until She learns that you really leave
YOUR cards at these same houses. Then
She finds refuge in Il great unbroken 81
"a RtF Fat